CAS Chronicles

Stories

spilled prescription bottle with pills

USF study finds opioid control policies may reduce domestic violence

The research suggests a correlation between opioid misuse and domestic violence, offering broader public health implications beyond addiction.

April 23, 2025Research

Rattlesnake curled up | Photo credit: Ricardo Ramírez Chaparro

What rattlesnake venom can teach us about evolution

USF researchers find that island snakes adapt their venom in surprising ways, offering new clues about how animals evolve in changing environments.

April 23, 2025Research

Ajibola Tolase (center left) and Aracelis Gonzalez Asendorf (center right) attend the Florida Book Awards ceremony

USF poets bring home gold, silver and bronze book awards

Ajibola Tolase, an assistant professor in the Department of English, won a gold medal from the Florida Book for his poetry collection “2000 Blacks.” He joins colleagues Heather Sellers, who received a bronze medal in the poetry category in 2022 for her collection, “Field Notes from the Flood Zone,” and Julia Koets, who received a silver award in the poetry category in 2021 for her collection, “Pine.”

April 22, 2025Accomplishments, Events

person's gloved hands sifting through mulch

Composting initiative to reduce food waste and support urban agriculture in St. Petersburg

A new partnership between USF and the city of St. Petersburg will bring an industrial-sized composter to campus, with the goal of reducing tons of food waste from landfills and creating compost for community gardens and urban farms.

April 21, 2025Community Engagement

Creekshed banner

As storm floodwaters rise, the Creekshed project maps the stories flowing into Tampa Bay

The interactive Creekshed 2.0 map is a collaboration between artists and writers that explores the human and natural stories flowing through Tampa Bay’s watershed.

April 17, 2025Community Engagement, Research

Dr. Josh Scacco speaks at podium at Center for Sustainable Democracy Event

Associate professor of communication makes history as USF’s first Carnegie Fellow

Dr. Joshua Scacco joins the 2025 Andrew Carnegie Fellows Class—USF’s first faculty member to earn the honor.

April 16, 2025Accomplishments, Community Engagement

Gray Zeisse

USF Sophomore Gray Zeisse Selected for Fulbright UK Summer Institute in Scotland

Second-year biomedical sciences student Gray Zeisse is one of only five U.S. students selected this year for the Fulbright UK Summer Institute Program at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

April 16, 2025Accomplishments

Outstanding Research Achievement and Excellence in Innovation Award Recipients image collage

Eleven USF faculty recognized with research achievement and innovation excellence awards

Three College of Arts and Sciences faculty have been recognized for their remarkable advancement in translational research and innovation.

April 15, 2025Accomplishments, Research

woman wearing cap and gown in front of USF seal

U.S. News & World Report ranks USF a national leader for dozens of graduate programs

The University of South Florida has 31 graduate programs ranked in the top 100 nationally by U.S. News & World Report, including 15 in the top 50 and five in the top 25. With standout programs such as industrial-organizational psychology, criminology and rehabilitation counseling, USF continues to rise as a leader in graduate education and research excellence.

April 8, 2025Accomplishments

group of Brewing Arts students

USF's Brewing Arts program sets up working professionals for new careers

Nearly two dozen students received their certificate of completion from USF's Brewing Arts program during a ceremony held at the Yuengling Draft Haus & Kitchen in Tampa.

April 4, 2025Community Engagement

From left to right: Stefania Alastre Arcusa, Veronica “Ronnie” Gajownik, Shelly Marc, Hiram J. Ríos Hernández and Bailee W. Olliff, MD

Five of six Outstanding Young Alumni for 2025 call CAS ‘home’

Each year the USF Alumni Association chooses grads from across the university to honor at the Outstanding Young Alumni Awards, most of whom come from the College of Arts and Sciences.

April 3, 2025Accomplishments, Alumni

The Rising Tides Podcast” covers ocean research from space to the seafloor, including the use of buoys, satellites, and submersibles to advance marine science. Credit: Jay Law.

‘The Rising Tides Podcast’ explores cutting-edge ocean technologies in marine science

Designed for ocean experts and general audiences alike, “The Rising Tides Podcast” invites oceanographers to discuss their ground-breaking research through one-on-one conversations.

April 2, 2025Community Engagement

About CAS Chronicles

CAS Chronicles is the monthly newsletter for the University of South Florida's College of Arts and Sciences, your source for the latest news, research, and events at CAS.